Who’s Got Next? Joe Burton to Stillwater, SDSU’s Top 10 Recruiting Class, and More…
Posted by Sean Moran on October 28th, 2013
Who’s Got Next? is a weekly column by Sean Moran, the RTC recruiting guru. Once a week he will bring you an overview of what’s going on in the complex world of recruiting, from who is signing where among the seniors to discussing the recruitments of the top uncommitted players in the country. We also encourage you to check out his contributions at The Intentional Foul dedicated to recruiting coverage and analysis. You can also follow Sean at his Twitter account @Seanmohoops for up-to-date news from the high school and college hoops scene. If you have any suggestions as to areas we are missing or different things you would like to see, please let us know at rushthecourt@yahoo.com.
Note: Scout.com used for all player rankings.
Oklahoma State Lands a Scorer
Come next season, Oklahoma State will be in dire need of scoring. The Cowboys’ coaching staff started to address their needs with the commitment of four-star small forward Joe Burton last Monday. Burton is a powerful, 6’6” wing player currently ranked as the No. 18 small forward in the country and No. 79 prospect overall. Hailing from just outside of the Houston area, Travis Ford has snatched another top prospect out of Texas. Next year, the Cowboys will lose shooting guard Markel Brown to graduation and most likely point guard Marcus Smart and small forward Le’Bryan Nash to the NBA Draft. These three players combined for 62% of the Cowboys’ points this past season.
With the addition of Burton, Oklahoma State now has the 13th-ranked recruiting class in 2014 which also features four-star shooting guard Jared Terrell, four-star center Mitch Solomon, and JuCo point guard Jeff Newberry. Burton should be able to step in immediately for the Cowboys and average double figures in his first year. As a small forward, Burton already has a multi-dimensional game and is comfortable scoring from all areas of the court. He can bury threes with the best of them from his preferred spot on the left wing, and can also put the ball on the floor for a mid-range jumper or a drive to the basket. While Burton is not an overly explosive athlete, he runs the floor well and finishes above the rim. Come next season, Burton shouldn’t have any problem filling some of the scoring void in Stillwater.
